Campania Medieval Villages

Days: 5

Nights: 4

Programme

1st Day: Naples /Caserta/Caserta Antica/Sant’Agata de’ Goti Arrival in Naples by your own mean of transport, meet with your tour guide at your disposal for the entire stay. Transfer to Caserta, the city named by the Bourbon Dynasty as ‘The Versailles of Italy’. Visit of the beautiful Reggia Vanvitelliana (entrance fee included), where you will admire magnificently decorated apartments and take a stroll in the marvellous gardens.

The tour continues with a visit to the ancient medieval village of Ancient Caserta (Casa Hirta) considered to be the ‘Pompei of the Middle Ages’. Accomodation in 3*sup hotel located in Sant’Agata dè Goti, a charming village, an enormous open-air museum with its stone-paved streets, stone-portaled palaces and monumental churches. Dinner in a restaurant in the surroundings. Overnight stay.

2nd Day: Cerreto Sannita / Cusano Mutri After breakfast at the hotel, departure by coach for a full day visit to the most famous village in Benevento province. Arrival at Cerreto Sannita, situated on a hill between the streams Turio and Cappuccino and renowned throughout the world for its ceramics production. Visit of some of the most impressive historical buildings, such as the Cathedral, the Collegiate Church of San Martino, the Church of Santa Maria di Costantinopoli and the Ceramics Museum of Cerreto. Free time for lunch.

The tour continues to the medieval village of Cusano Mutri, set on a rocky spur, with narrow alleys and winding staircases where houses overlook the valley below. What a sublime feeling, to enter the ‘Porta di Mezzo’ (Mezzo Gate), walking along the paved road, going up to the highest point of the town that looks on the mountains covered with beech woods! After the visit, back to Sant’Agata de’ Goti to visit a typical wine cellar with local wine tasting (Aglianico, Piedirosso, etc). Dinner in a restaurant at your hotel or surroundings and overnight stay.

3rd Day: Conca de’ Marini/ Amalfi/Atrani Breakfast at the hotel and departure to Conca de’ Marini, a picturesque and charming fishing village with its typical houses in Mediterranean style: vaulted ceilings and white washed walls, balconies with beautiful flowers and a spectacular view on the sea. The terraces cultivated with lemons and tomatoes of the piennolo, the tranquillity and the fresh sea breeze make Conca Marini the ideal “buen retiro” for lovers of discretion and quietness. Visit of the Monastery of St. Rosa from Lima, a peaceful place, beautiful example of architecture built in the 17th century.

Here, according to the tradition, the exquisite Sfogliatella Santa Rosa was made for the first time by nuns. It is a typical puff pastry filled with cream and black cherry. Possible tasting of the famous “Sfogliatella Santa Rosa”. Other important historical sites are the Church of San Pancrazio, which enjoys an incomparable view on the sea, the Chapel of Our Lady of the Snow, perched on the rocks near the beach, the Emerald Grotto (entrance fee not included), a karst cave discovered in 1932, which takes its name from the emerald colours in the water, produced by the sunlight filtered through a submarine entrance After the visit we will continue to Amalfi, one of the first republican towns in Italy, where we visit the magnificent Cathedral of S. Andrea (entrance fee included) built in Moorish architectural style, and adjacent, the Paradise Cloister. Free time for lunch. In the afternoon, we continue to Atrani. The beauty of the village lies in the choreography of the beach surrounding it and the intricate maze of houses, built practically on top of each other. A tour of the village must therefore begin with the Church of San Salvatore, founded in 940. Standing on the slopes of the mountain is the collegiate church of Santa Maria Maddalena with its Baroque façade. Next to the Church, visit the Masaniello’s Cave, where the popular neapolitan revolutionary leader escaped. According to some historical documentations his family had some properties here. Return to the hotel, dinner in a restaurant and overnight stay.

4th Day: Castellabate Breakfast at the hotel and departure towards Castellabate, village which still maintains the medieval urban structure. Its name is linked to the construction of the castle, which was started by Abbot Costabile Gentilcore in 1123. Stop and visit a typical local farm and taste the delicious buffalo mozzarella.

In the afternoon, the tour continues to Roscigno Vecchia, founded as agro-pastoral settlement. The village, survived over the years thanks to the safe location in the hills, away from the major travel, commercial and military routes. The parish church of Roscigno Vecchia, dedicated to San Nicola was built in 1770. Since then it has undergone various interventions of consolidation. We will visit the Museum of Farming Civilization collecting testimonies of life and work of local Roscigno inhabitants (entrance fee included). After the visit, the tour continues to Capaccio or surroundings, accommodation in a 3* hotel, dinner in a local restaurant and overnight stay.

5th day: Naples Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer by private coach to the airport. End of our services.

Services included

- half board for the entire stay - 3* hotel accommodation – centrally located or in the nearby, rooms en suite facilities (Italian hotel rating ) - full guided tour at your disposal according to the above program - entrance fee for the Reggia Vanvitelliana and its parks on the 1st day - visit to a wine cellar and typical wine tasting on the 2nd day - entrance fee to the Dom and the Closter of Amalfi on the 3rd day - tasting a typical Buffalo Mozzarella on the 4th day - entrance fee for the Museum of Farming Civilization on the 4th day - a personalized booklet with all relevant information necessary for your stay - our assistance throughout the whole stay - all services specified in the above programme

Services not included

- lunches - drinks - entry fees to the sites (except for those mentioned in the program) - bus services according to the above programme (parking included) see supplement - local tax charge to be paid on the spot - all services not specified in the above program